Wednesday, November 14, 2012

Hallmark and Traditions and a Give Away

I'm somewhat of an old hippie, earth loving, Jesus Freak kind of girl. I love gift giving and especially if it's something I created myself. I hate all this plastic, ever consuming, fast food, Facebook relationship kind of world we've created.
Well, mostly anyway. I love me some Ziploc bags, Tupperware. a Diet Coke from Mickey D's and Hallmark.
I'm sorry, but those movies do exactly what they are supposed to do, pull my heart out through my tear ducts. My children and theirs get a visit from the Hallmark ornament elf, with the appropriate date and subject, in their stocking each Christmas. Don't even get me started on those talking, singing characters that I feel the gramerlings just can't live without.
Umm, please don't get the Handy Man started on those characters either. Just saying.

Oh yeah, and another memory.
That little Daniel I told you about, the toddler loved him some basketball. I didn't even know a two year old would get that, but his mama loved basketball and so did he. So, we've passed the soup incident and the friendship is growing and what to do about this first Christmas. I looked and thought, I looked some more and fretted, then thought some more- nothing. Well, the big day is nearly here and I am feeling desperate. I dash into the Hallmark store and on the first tree on the left, hanging right at eye level is an ornament. Yeah, right, it's Christmas, what else would be there, but this wasn't just any ornament, but an angel, a boy angel with blue eyes, blonde hair, and I promise you this big, fat, basketball tucked under his arm. Be still my heart. I bonded with the Hallmark store that day.

Still, I was surprised to get an e-mail from them offering me cards to keep and share via my blog. Fun.
A new big thing this year is a card that counts down the days and the one where the kids can record their list to send to Santa. Oh, how sweet a keepsake for the mamas and the papas, those tiny voices telling Santa Claus their wishes. I will give that one away. I still remember the Captain calling Santa
" Kin Saw." Ahhhh.
This countdown card, now there's a novel idea.

Me, being totally smitten with my first two grandboys, not having any idea if there would be more in the future, wanted to do every little thing that I could manage to celebrate life with them. Soooooooo, I bought two of those big felt Advent Calendars with the pockets to count the days, and filled each little pocket with a Christmas candy, and wrote a personal message on the back. So sweet! I took them back and refilled them the next year. See, already a tradition. Then Christmas number three and the search for two more when my first precious girls came along. How many pieces of candy? Just a hundred. And on we go. This year I'm up to ten blessings and two hundred and fifty pieces of Christmas candy. What in the world was I thinking?
Buy the card!
So, I've never done a giveaway. Leave a comment, I'll print them and let one of the wee folk pick the winner. Then, I'll send it to you!
I set the one I'm keeping for my littles and is was easy as could be. I was a bit alarmed to see there are only 40 days to Christmas. Deep breath.
Which card do you wish, the recordable list, or the countdown?

5 comments:

This Grandma would pick the recordable card. I love capturing her voice. We were watching videos of 4 year old Amara and I loved hearing that voice -- so different from 8 year old voice! Imagine 10 years from now OMG -- 18 year old Amara.

This is not related to the giveaway. I just wanted to send you the link to some special Hallmark ornaments I have that remind me of my mother. The ornament you found for your friend also reminded me of this. (I know she will love it.) Here is the link to Mary's Angels http://grandmasunday.blogspot.com/search/label/Mary%27s%20Angels